Scarred Ponderosas, Rock Art, and other Traces of Ute History: New Evidence from the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument

Summary

This poster reports on an archaeological survey in the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument that has revealed important new evidence of the Ute and other hunter-gatherers dating to the late pre-colonial and early colonial periods. Of particular interest are a series of culturally modified Ponderosa pine trees, which are likely linked to Ute foodways employed during period of starvation or want. I examine these culturally modified trees as artifacts on the landscape within the context of the wider archaeological evidence in the survey. This evidence includes an especially notable concentration of rock art that contributes to the understanding of Ute iconography in the region, as well as other traces of hunter–gatherer life.

Cite this Record

Scarred Ponderosas, Rock Art, and other Traces of Ute History: New Evidence from the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument. Elizabeth Dresser-Kluchman. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Vancouver, British Columbia. 2017 ( tDAR id: 430711)